


Certainty

by firelordizumi



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-26
Updated: 2015-05-26
Packaged: 2018-04-01 10:50:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4016953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firelordizumi/pseuds/firelordizumi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zuko has suspicions. They get confirmed. Written for the prompt "Beginnings" for Royal Family Week.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Certainty

“Why do you keep looking at me like that?”

Katara nearly drops her chopsticks. “What?” she asks with far too much panic in her voice for a person who should for all intents and purposes be enjoying a pleasant afternoon meal in the Fire Lord’s palace with her husband and their royal hosts. “I don’t think I was looking at you like anything, Zuko. Back me up on this, sweetie,” she says as she turns to Aang, who shrugs in response.

“Sorry, Katara, but I’m with His Fieriness on this one,” he says. “You _have_ been acting a little weird ever since we got back.”

Zuko is glad Aang has noticed it too. This means he hasn’t been imagining things. That morning, he had taken Aang on a tour of the capital city’s new cultural center as a kickoff of sorts to the Avatar’s now-annual official tour of the Fire Nation. Mai had elected not to join them on the basis that she wasn’t feeling well, and Katara stayed behind with Bumi to keep her company. When the two men returned to the palace, Zuko was pleased to notice that Mai looked slightly less queasy, but he was also perplexed by the fact that Katara was not only blatantly refusing to make eye contact with him, she was also unable to stop smiling. This strange behavior continued as they all sat down to lunch, until Mai excused herself halfway through the second course and Katara went from pretending like Zuko did not exist to sneaking a glance at him what felt like every five seconds, all the while looking increasingly like she was about to cry, and… _Oh_.

It’s at this precise moment that Zuko’s brain temporarily short-circuits. Mai. He has to find her immediately.

Katara tries her best to look apologetic, but she’s still biting her lip to keep a grin from spreading, and that is the final confirmation Zuko needs before he all but sprints out of the dining room and down the hall. It’s not exactly dignified, but he can’t bring himself to care right now.

He finds Mai on the same balcony she found him on the day of his coronation. His arrival is hardly stealthy, not that she would have failed to take note of it even if it was, and he supposes he must look as out of breath as he feels because Mai simply takes one look at him and sighs.

“And it was only marginally awkward when I was still in the room. Come on,” she says, gesturing to a cushioned bench behind them. “Let’s talk.”

“I was going to wait until we had a moment alone, but it looks like someone’s inability to contain herself has taken care of that for us,” she continues as soon as they’re both seated. She takes a deep breath and her face softens, even as the intensity of her gaze increases. “Zuko, do you remember how I said I needed to know for sure?”

Mai’s voice is soft, but it still rings more clearly in his ears than the buzzing in his head and the pounding of his heart, and the effect is so odd that he has to stand up again. Of course he remembers. It’s all he’s been able to think about for the past week. He nods numbly in reply, scarcely daring to breathe or take his eyes off of hers for an instant.

Mai rises in turn to face him and puts her hands on his shoulders. “I know for sure,” she says, tightening her grip slightly as if to steady herself. “Zuko, we’re having a baby.”

Zuko has never been so happy to feel so terrified.

“Katara says she should arrive about a month after the spring solstice, which certainly makes sense, all things considered.”

Zuko dimly notes that his wife is now actively grinning at him, but he finds himself unable to respond. A baby. Their baby. He is going to be a father. They are going to be parents.

“She also says that everything feels good so far. The baby’s chi is strong.”

With every word, Mai sounds more and more like a weight is being slowly lifted off her chest, and Zuko supposes that in a way, it is. This means no more thinly veiled questions, no more raised eyebrows, no more discussion of succession among the court, at least for the time being, taking precedence over actual governing. But all of that pales in comparison to the new reality that the family he and Mai have both dreamed of building, one created on their own terms in addition to duty, or perhaps in spite of it, is finally growing. The nation may want this child, but Zuko resolves that whoever the newest member of this family turns out to be, they will know that their parents wanted them more.

“If you feel like saying something any time in the next seven months, that would be wonderful,” Mai drawls, and Zuko realizes that he has no idea how long he’s been standing there. Finding the right words has gotten easier over the years, but it’s still easier to gather Mai into his arms and hope his old habit of falling back on action will suffice.

“You’re amazing,” he whispers, kissing the top of her head, and he can feel her smiling into his shoulder as she embraces him back just as fiercely. When they break apart, his cheeks are damp and her eyes are shining in the singular way reserved for him alone, the way that makes his heart swell like nothing else on earth.

“Hang on, we have to tell the rest of our friends,” he realizes with a start, giddily running a hand through his hair. “We have to tell the council. Spirits, we have to tell the entire country.”

“Zuko. That can all wait.” Mai moves back to the bench. “Just…stay here with me for a while?” she asks as she puts her feet up.

He blinks a few times as he drifts back to the present, back to her. “Of course,” he says, sitting down beside her and pulling her close as they gaze out over the rooftops bathed in an afternoon sunlight that for his part has never looked quite so bright. “Whatever you need.”

They remain in hazy, contented silence for a long while after that, until Zuko remembers one final point of clarification.

“Wait a minute. She?”

“It’s still early, and I don’t think you can actually tell that type of thing with waterbending, but call it a hunch.”

**Author's Note:**

> So this is the fifth story I've posted on here, and I think some thank you's for all the comments, kudos, advice and words of encouragement (on AO3 and elsewhere) are long overdue. It really makes my day whenever I see that someone has stopped by. I'll never be as prolific as most fanfiction writers seem to be, but I am blown away that even a handful of people appreciate my tiny contributions. Thank you, so, SO much.


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